The more creative – and yes, the more award winning – the more effective. It’s been unequivocally and empirically proven. It seems the only creatives who hide behind smug ‘awards are a wank’ arguments are those who don’t know how to win them and. And as a consequence, don’t know how to create ground-breaking, original and above all, effective work.

Peter Field’s “The Link Between Creativity and Effectiveness” should be mandatory reading before anyone is allowed to post on this blog. Or you could at least start with this summary:

https://ogilvy-sociallab-brussels.prezly.com/the-principles-of-effectiveness

Then get back to actual work you are supposed to do.

It’s true that the creative department is responsible for delivering magic, day after day – and often more than once a day. When people dismiss the creative department, or say that ideas can come from anywhere, what they often forget is that it’s extremely hard to get into a department in the first place, and hard to stay there, and hard to find the magic when you’re working long hours and weekends under pressure and dealing with feedback round 8 that doesn’t make much sense. Worth appreciating those who do it. It’s a job that never leaves you alone.

But equally worth appreciating are the people who have the conversation that sets up the need for that idea in the first place, or help shape the brief that asks for that idea, or work their arse off to protect you from what could have been feedback hell, or come in on a Sunday to see if you need any help, or drop in the perspective that helps spark the idea or helps move that idea forward.

What creatives don’t appreciate is when other people don’t do their own job (ie write a good brief instead of forwarding a half-arsed email, get the key things a client wants to achieve instead of delivering a list of mandatories to jam into 15 seconds, forge a great working relationship with clients and creative instead of being yes-people) and try to do the creatives job.

It’s bad, reflects poorly on management and their ability to train people and counterproductive.

If you feel your contributions aren’t valued where you work, maybe have a look at how you’re contributing. If you’re trying to do someone’s job instead of doing yours, you won’t be valued. Same if a creative started emailing the client direct and asking them to go for a coffee.

Capiche?

I’ve worked with some unreal creatives over time that really understand the contribution that everyone makes, and understand why at certain times clients and suits can be difficult and that it’s often for good reason.

I’m not discounting the pressure that creatives face to make the work. I certainly don’t think I could do that.

I just think creatives need to start valuing the contribution that others make, and understand that without clients, the work doesn’t exist. Full stop.

All the best to you in your new role Ben. On top of all the obvious talent, you’re a really good dude too.

Seriously, I think it’s silly even to be having this discussion. Great agencies always have and always will work together across departments to produce the goods, but each be strongest in our own area. Things very quickly go to shit when creative believes they’re better at strategy, and account management believe they’re better at creaive.

It’s understandable when you go and look at Cannes or whatever show because many Award judges, in my experience, particularly in ‘newer’ markets where scam is more prevalent (a whole other story) don’t put a commercial lens on that they’re judging, only a creative one. Other judges- and they tend to be the more experienced ones – are more likely to ask themselves fundamental questions like, would this work? Would anyone do this? Did anyone actually see this? And they might even argue the point with the other judges.
So perhaps Creatives only have themselves to blame. It’s not too late to fix it either! Just get real!

So ‘Creative’ ads, they’re not the same as ‘hard working’ ads?
There are some famous examples of creative ads (the kind the public remembered, rather than purely ‘award winning’ ads) that didn’t really do much selling. But by and large that is not the case. Those really famous ads we all know and remember, those ads that our parents and friends would sight, they, by and large, worked their asses off. Ads for airlines. Tourism ads. Ads for car insurance. Car ads. Ads for beer…. highly ‘creative’ (yes creative) ads and brand platforms that clients keep running – because they work.

And by the way, the creative departments created those – sure with fundamental help from the rest of the agency – but impossible without the creative department. Those individuals make the agency’s product. They wrote the famous lines, the famous dialogue, the unforgettable idea. Everyone else sold it (or set the scene for it).

They still happen today too. It’s just more difficult sometimes to win awards for them because sometimes they aren’t on-trend. And being on-trend has possibly become more important than being creatively sound.

Sure there are brands that get away with only doing purely ‘cost effective work that achieves business results’ – JB HiFi for example. Sometimes that’s appropriate.

But if you’re a blue chip brand, a fashion brand, a lifestyle brand, a high end product, for the most part, that’s just not going to cut it. Then you need a creative department.

So your inference is that it’s the Clients who do the work?

Clients pay the bills. And the reality is that clients couldn’t give two shites about your ideas and the awards you’ve won, or are trying to win (outside of perhaps an effie).

Clients want cost effective work that achieves business results. They don’t see through the gimmicks anymore. And they certainly don’t want to deal with bullshit from creatives who don’t understand this.

They help promote businesses.

They don’t fundamentally shape them.

So no, creatives are not that important in the modern business landscape.

This is the absolute BS that has most agencies in trouble. Creatives need to wake up and realise they are absolutely not the be all and end all anymore (if they ever were).

Don’t forget who pays the bills.